Former Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr has revealed how close Nigeria once came to securing the international allegiance of Michael Olise, the dazzling winger now thrilling fans at Bayern Munich and the France national team, Soccernet.ng reports.
Born in London to a Nigerian father and a French-Algerian mother, Olise was eligible to play for four nations — Nigeria, France, England, and Algeria.
At just 17, while playing for Reading in the English Championship, Rohr had already spotted the young midfielder’s immense potential.
“He’s a fantastic player. I really value him highly and have known him since my time as national coach in Nigeria,” Rohr told T-Online while reflecting on his early pursuit of the teenager.
The Franco-Nigerian talent had only featured for France’s Under-18 side at the 2019 Toulon Tournament, but Rohr was convinced Nigeria should move swiftly to secure him.
“We did a little bit back then to convince him. I wanted him to play for Nigeria and my team (the Super Eagles),” Rohr said.
Between 2019 and 2020, while Olise was still developing his craft at Reading, Rohr and his staff reached out, hoping to persuade him to commit to the Super Eagles. But the youngster, confident in his ability to reach the top level, politely declined.
“Even then, his great potential was undeniable. In the end, though, he unfortunately declined. He knew he could make it with even bigger footballing nations and ultimately decided to play for France,” Rohr admitted.
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Olise: The Nigerian descent who stars for France and Bayern Munich
Today, Olise’s decision appears to have paid off.
Now one of Bayern Munich’s brightest attacking stars, the 23-year-old has evolved into a player capable of turning matches with his flair, creativity, and quick thinking; much like Franck Ribéry, the French great he is now being compared to.
Rohr, who once managed top talents like Victor Osimhen, Alex Iwobi, and Wilfred Ndidi, believes Olise is destined for even greater heights.
“He can certainly achieve that and become a worthy successor to Ribéry at Bayern,” Rohr said.
“Michael Olise is a great player, truly exceptional and admirable. He can make the difference at any time with brilliant passes, dribbling, and his vision. Bayern have definitely made a very good signing with him. He will also be one of the key players in the match against PSG.”
Rohr, who holds both German and French citizenship, understands why France national team fans have been cautious in their praise of Olise, who has scored three times in 12 appearances for France’s senior side.
“That’s understandable because he plays so brilliantly at Bayern. But it’s not so easy to integrate into the national team. The competition in attack is really fierce. But here in France, they’re already satisfied with him. And he’ll continue to improve with the national team,” Rohr added.
As Bayern Munich prepare to face Paris Saint-Germain in a blockbuster Champions League showdown, Olise is expected to play a decisive role.
The Bavarian giants travel to France boasting a perfect record: 15 wins in 15 games across all competitions. PSG, on the other hand, are the defending champions, sitting level on points with the Germans at the top of the group standing.
All of Europe will be watching as Olise, the player Nigeria once hoped to call their own, lines up against the champions of France in what promises to be one of the season’s defining encounters.